Hiram Crombie
* Great Uncle Ephraim (great-uncle-in-law) |Occupation = |Clan= |Nationality = Scottish |breath=true |written=true |Actor = |Seasons = }}Hiram Crombie is the informal leader of the Protestant Thurso settlers who arrive on Fraser's Ridge in 1773. Personal History Hiram Crombie is originally from Thurso, Scotland. He has been married for at least 20 years. It's possible that he, like many from Thurso, was previously a fisherman. He brought his family to the new world and settled in North Carolina in 1773. Outlander series ''A Breath of Snow and Ashes Hiram Crombie is the unofficial spokesman of the families from Thurso. The other Fraser's Ridge residents find him sour and off-putting almost at once. When he meets a group of Cherokee Indians, Hiram is appalled to realize that some may be descended from his wife's great uncle, making them relations of his. Not long after, Hiram decides that if the Indians really are related to his family, then he has a moral obligation to go live among them and "save" their souls with the Word of Christ. Jamie and Roger partially dissuade him with some difficulty. In November of 1773, Hiram's mother-in-law Old Mrs. Wilson has an aneurysm. Believing her to be dead, Hiram's wife and daughters prepare the body for the funeral while Hiram goes to inform Roger, the nearest thing to a minister on the Ridge. Hiram asks Roger to say a few words, though not before making veiled remarks about Brianna's housekeeping. Though the funeral is respectable, some on the Ridge speculate that Hiram wasn't fond of his mother-in-law and "canna get the auld woman underground" fast enough and was not inclined to spend even a single extra cent on the funeral. During the funeral, Mrs. Wilson briefly revives and immediately berates a stunned Hiram for pinching pennies on the funeral. Hiram continues to have ambitions about ministering to Indians. In preparation for this, he convinces Fergus to teach him French and Ian to teach him bits of the local Indian tongues. Jamie later brings Hiram on a trading mission to the Cherokee village. Though his first visit is short and unsuccessful, he doggedly returns several more times. At one of Roger's first sermons at the Ridge, Hiram is bitten by a snake that had been concealed by young Gully Dornan. After Malva Christie's dramatic claim that Jamie is the father of her child, and her subsequent death in Claire's presence, Hiram is one of those calling for Claire's arrest. However, he stops the crowd from physically attacking Jamie and Claire. When Jamie returns to the Ridge and declares his intent to join a rebel militia, Hiram is the only one of the men from Thurso to join Jamie. An Echo in the Bone Hiram holds lodge meetings for the local Freemasons, of which Roger and Jamie are members. His home is used for meetings. Written in My Own Heart's Blood From a distance, Claire and Jamie see Hiram escorting the new to the Ridge. Personality He is a sour and rigid man. He is deeply religious and regards non-Protestants with perpetual distrust. However, he is dogged in his beliefs, ministering to the Indians despite being repeatedly rebuffed and joining the rebel militia under Jamie. Physical Appearance Hiram is a small and stringy man with a narrow face and wrinkles beyond his years. His hair is thin and he normally wears it tightly plaited down his back. His mouth is perpetually downturned. Name *'Hiram''' is probably of Phoenician origin, though it could be from Hebrew meaning "exalted brother". As an English given name, Hiram came into use after the Protestant Reformation.Behind the Name: Hiram. Accessed 2 September 2019. *'Crombie' is a Dalriadan-Scottish name, originally for a person who lived in the place Crombie, in the parish of Aucterless in the shire of Aberdeen. The place-name Crombie was originally derived from the Gaelic term crom, which means "crooked."House of Names: Crombie. Accessed 2 September 2019. Trivia References Category:Characters Category:18th century characters Category:Male characters Category:Characters in A Breath of Snow and Ashes Category:Characters in Written in My Own Heart's Blood Category:Scottish characters Category:Protestant characters